Tyler Huntley – September 18, 2024
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Wednesday, September 18, 2024
QB Tyler Huntley
(Welcome back to South Florida. What’s it like playing in this building?) – “Man, it’s just like a dream come true. As a little kid, you’re looking up seeing the NFL and your home team being right there, you just want to be a part of it. I get the chance to be a part of it.”
(What was the moment you got the call that you’d be heading here to South Florida?) – “I had just got done working out at the Ravens facility and my agent called me and was like, ‘Man, it’s time to head home.’ I just had to get ready, take a shower, start packing my things that I could and come on down.”
(You’re smiling ear to ear. Is that the reaction you had? It’s got to be a little bit of a whirlwind.) – “Definitely. I’m telling you, I’m still in the stars a little bit being able to be home.”
(Were the Dolphins your team growing up?) – “I wouldn’t say team, but grew up watching the Dolphins because we’re right here at home.”
(Your high school Hallandale is not far from here. How does it feel to just really be in that proximity?) – “That means a lot. You got all of my people that I grew up with still down here. They’re able to get a chance to come out to the games if they can, it will be a nice thing.”
(How many people are going?) – “Oh, I don’t even know yet. (laughter)”
(What was your first reaction when you got your hands on the Head Coach Mike McDaniel playbook?) – “I was like he’s utilizing his weapons. I think it’s great what he’s doing over here. I can’t wait to get into it into it and be able to do some things with the things he’s got going on.”
(Why do you think that this is a good fit for you, this system?) – “You get to throw to some weapons and then we’re going to score a lot of points. I’m ready to contribute.”
(What is it like knowing if you were to get into a game, you have WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle in this offense?) – “It’s kind of like playing Madden. (laughter) You got a lot of weapons out there. You just got to go out there and play ball.”
(What was today like?) – “It was nice just getting out there. I’m watching the plays from a distance in the back trying to get the footwork down. It’s just amazing to see that speed out there. They’re running every play, it’s amazing to see.”
(How tough do you think it will be to get on timing? There is so much timing in this offense.) – “I got a good feel of it today. I was doing footwork from the time we stepped on the field. Coach (Mike McDaniel) is doing a great job of having me back there, going through the footwork. I’m trying to get it down, but I’m a quick learner and I should be ready.”
(How big of a hug you got from Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver?) – “Ah, it was a big hug. That’s my boy. It’s good to see familiar faces. It’s all love.”
(Do you think he advocated for you to be here?) – “I think he said some good things about me. I would hope my play did a good thing too.”
(What are you most looking forward to being back home?) – “Good weather. Good weather, good food. You know what’s around, those are the main things.”
(What’s your mindset coming into here and your understanding of what your role would be? Are you here to be someone who gives QB Skylar Thompson the assistance that he needs? What is your role going to be?) – “Definitely to be here for Skylar (Thompson) and when Tua (Tagovailoa) gets back, be there for Tua. Definitely get a grasp of this offense so whenever my time is called, I’ll be able to contribute.”
(What has surprised you most about learning this offense in the very early stages of it?) – “Just the different terminologies I got to get used to. All of the pre snap stuff, I just got to get in tune with it. It’s nothing – football is football. I should be able to do it.”
(What do you think an athletic quarterback can do in this system?) – “There is so much speed on the outside, a couple of QB runs up the middle and stuff, get the defense to play honest. There’s no way they could stick all of that speed at once.”
(Do you prefer Tyler or ‘Snoop?’) – “My momma would prefer Tyler. But everybody tends to call me ‘Snoop,’ so you can call me ‘Snoop.’”
(Have you ever met Snoop Dogg?) – ‘Yeah. Definitely, I met him at the Pro Bowl, and then I met him last year when we went out to L.A. for the game.”
(Do you think you look like him now? Or not so much?) – “(laughter) No, but back in the day I had long hair, so I kind of had a similar look to him.”
(Do you feel like this is kind of a career reset for you? A chance to kind of get things going in the right direction?) – “I think so. And just being in a great place like this, everything is new to me. I used to see the facility in Davie, so the facility being right next to the Hard Rock, practicing and seeing Hard Rock right there, it’s an amazing sight. So it’s a breath of fresh air and getting ready to work.”
(It’s obviously tough to learn a whole playbook in a week, but do you think you’ll have a package early on where you can just focus on one thing to learn?) – “No, I don’t think I would want to look at it like that, because in the heat of the battle, something pops up out of nowhere and you want to be on top of it rather than sitting out there just thinking ‘what is this?’ So I’m going to try to learn the whole thing and be ready to go.”
(What was your meeting with Snoop Dogg like? Did he know that your nickname was ‘Snoop?’) – “(laughter) Yeah, he called me ‘Lil’ Snoop.’ So when I threw a couple of touchdowns in the Pro Bowl he was like, ‘There you go Lil’ Snoop,’ so he was on me about that. But yeah, it was pretty cool.”
(Had you hoped Miami would call you when you saw the unfortunate thing that happened with QB Tua Tagovailoa? Had you started thinking about Miami? Had you hoped they would call?) – “I was thinking about it a lot. I was really thinking about it coming out of the draft and I was hoping Miami would have come and got me. But you know, God’s plan and we’re here now.”
(What are one or two of the things that you’ve learned from playing behind Lamar Jackson?) – “Oh man, he’s a gamer. He’s just a playmaker and great quarterback and a leader. He just shows you the great aspects of winning games and handling everything that’s going on – on the field and off the field. He’s great to learn from.”
(I know you’ve only been here a minute, but what are your first impressions of QB Skylar Thompson and how he’s handling this situation being thrown into this?) – “I think he’s taking it all in, he’s doing a good job. I remember seeing him when I had gone in playing against Cincinnati, he was playing against the Bills that same day when he came in the playoffs. So I think he’s going to do a great job, and he’s just got to stick to it.”
(You had to go all the way to Utah for college football coming out of Hallandale as a recruit, did you want to go to one of the Florida schools?) – “I did leading up to it was time to sign, I was ready to get out of Florida and explore. I hadn’t been too far from Florida prior so going to Utah, it was a great thing for me.”
(Did that leave a chip on your shoulder – not attending one of the state schools?) – “Yeah, definitely. Definitely. (laughter)”
(You mentioned you wanted to know the entire playbook, but you have a unique set of skills we haven’t really seen right here – your speed, your ability to be elusive. Are you going to lobby maybe for a ‘Snoop’ package that we see in games, kind of change in pace with QB Skylar Thompson?) – “(laughter) If Coach needs me to come in and step in a little bit, then I’m willing to do it. But I’m really just ready for – to step in and to win the game.”
(How much time did you spend with QB Tua Tagovailoa? How helpful has he been?) – “Man, I’ve been here 24 hours; I’ve probably spent a good little hour or two with Tua (Tagovailoa) in the meeting rooms a little bit and then walkthrough. I’ve just been talking to him and trying to get his grasp of the offense. He’s great. He’s great.”
Jaelan Phillips – September 18, 2024
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Wednesday, September 18, 2024
LB Jaelan Phillips
(We all saw kind of saw the Instagram post that you made, if you feel comfortable sharing a little bit about what was behind it.) – “I think I just wanted to convey a message to people, it’s really anybody in general but especially young athletes and stuff. I feel like some people are naturally, supremely confident, but I feel like a lot of people kind of struggle with their confidence and I just wanted to convey the message that even if you do struggle with your confidence, you can still move past it, you can still be successful. It’s really about how you handle those times like that and how you move forward from it. So I just think it’s important – I feel like a lot of people might assume because we’re big, brawny athletes that either we don’t go through the same emotions or whatever, but I think it’s impactful for a lot of people to be able to see that from us. A lot of people obviously idolize us, and for us to be candid about our emotions, I think that’s super important. Especially for men in general, I feel like it’s kind of stigmatized to be vulnerable and some people might see it as soft to speak about your emotions, but I think it’s important, like I said, to convey that message and show people that they can be themselves. They don’t have to be anybody less than what they are, and they can go through tough times, they can go through times of self-doubt and low confidence, but you can always push your way out of it.”
(What was it that triggered that?) – “I mean that’s kind of what I went through after the game on Thursday. I feel like I have a lot of high expectations for myself, and I didn’t live up to my standard so kind of instantly, all of the negative voices in my head start berating me. Like I said yesterday, it takes a concerted effort to switch that mind frame and start to love yourself and tell yourself positive things instead of just pounding yourself down. So yeah, like I said, it was that process – happened on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday – it was tough because it was a long weekend, so we couldn’t just put it to bed and move on. By Monday, that’s kind of when I started to turn the page and get back into a routine, and at the end of the day, tough times don’t last but tough people do.”
(How do you start that process of being positive to yourself?) – “I think it’s important to sit with those feelings. I don’t think it’s beneficial to try to ignore those feelings. I think it’s a good practice to try to tell yourself the opposite when you have those negative thoughts, ‘I’m not good enough. People don’t love me,’ whatever the case may be. Tell yourself, ‘I am good enough. I am blah blah blah.’ But I think it’s just like sitting in that and understanding that it’s OK to have down days or if it’s two days or three days, but it’s not OK to stay down and start spiraling and to not take that step forward. So what I said yesterday, it’s like for me, my routine and discipline is what carries me because you might think about something a lot for a couple days, but then once you get back into your routine, back in here, meetings, with the boys, working out, stuff like that, you just kind of forget about it, honestly. It still sits with you, but you’re able to look at it from a different perspective.”
(What’s been the feedback that you’ve gotten on that post?) – “A lot of love. I mean it’s not like I was asking or trying to, ‘Pity me, woah me,’ this and that. Like I said, it was more about conveying that message, and really it was on my heart and I just wanted to share that because I think it’s a valuable lesson and something I’ve learned through the adversity that I’ve had. It’s just like I said, how you respond to things is what determines how your life is going to be. It’s not the moment itself, it’s how you respond to the moment. So I think a lot of people have just been like thankful that I’ve had that vulnerability and spoken out. People told me that they really related to it, that they’ve told their young kids that, so I think it was overall definitely positive.”
(What happened in the game that you didn’t feel great about?) – “I feel like I just wasn’t impactful. I guess I’m just a little hard on myself. I still got to remind myself that I’m coming off of a major injury, we had a short turnaround. It’s really only the fourth time I’ve put on pads this year – only the second full, full-speed game, like going to war that I’ve played. So I think I just got to give myself grace, but I just kind of felt that I wasn’t impactful out there and made a couple of boneheaded plays because I was trying to do too much, trying to make big plays, obviously how the game was going. So I think it’s just a good reminder to myself to trust myself and to stay within the scheme and stay within my game and not try to reach for anything.”
(With the situation that the team faces right now, having to play a month without QB Tua Tagovailoa, what can the defense do to carry their share of the load?) – “I just think we got to do our job, that’s all we can do. We don’t have to play bigger than what we are; we just got to do our job – stop the run and then rush the passer. It’s simple as that, get the ball back for our offense. So I think we’ve been doing a good job. I think we have a lot to improve on and we’re going to improve on it, but I don’t think we have to do more than what’s required of us for us to win. I got a lot of faith in Skylar (Thompson), I’ve got a lot of faith in our offense in general. So I think if we can just go out there and play the brand of defense that we all know that we can play, then we’ll be good.”
Skylar Thompson – September 18, 2024
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Wednesday, September 18, 2024
QB Skylar Thompson
(I know last time when you went about starting, you told us about your dad and telling him the moment. Did you have a moment with your dad when you learned that you would be the starter and if so, can you share what that was like?) – “Yeah, I got to share it with my dad again. It was really, really special and got to share it with my fiancée as well. It was really cool to share that with her as well. My family is excited for me, it’s a great opportunity. You guys know about my journey; it’s really cool for me to share those things with my family members as I’ve continued through the journey so I’m very, very thankful for that and for them.”
(What’s it like for you being in the huddle in this role? I imagine you have to be a calming voice for guys because obviously things just changed dramatically going from QB Tua Tagovailoa. You have your starter in, now you have your backup in. But for you, what kind of quarterback or leader are you in the huddle?) – “I think first and foremost is just being myself, and for me, I’m a team-first guy. I love to go play with my teammates and that’s a goal of mine every time I step into the huddle, is for them to feel the confidence in my voice and the way that I speak the play out, the way we break the huddle, our urgency. Those little things and the details go a long way, and for me, that’s where my focus is at, is just the little details of things and having good urgency, speaking up and if I don’t like something or if I want something run a different way or whatever, having the confidence to voice my opinion. I’m very thankful for the guys listening and taking my opinion into account. That’s just the way that I approach it. That’s the way I’ve always approached it. I’ve always just learned you go to battle with your teammates and you invest in them and give everything into them, great things are going to happen. That’s my approach to it.”
(Last year, you didn’t play any games but you started a few as a rookie. What was that experience for you last year and what did you learn that’s going to help prepare you for Sunday and the games after that?) – “I think the first year, it’s an adjustment. Coming into this system which I haven’t been in another system, but I would put it up there as one of the more complex systems and for me to get experience with that my first year and getting live reps. We always talk about that; you can’t simulate live reps. I was very fortunate to get that opportunity to get those reps my rookie year and I think that was really good for me to go see that, to feel the speed, see the picture, feel the pass rush, feel all those things and feel the crowd noise. Like every single little detail, I remember and I think that’s one thing that you talk about – you asked about last year when I didn’t get a snap. I thought that was very helpful for me being able to take a step back from the offense. I’m obviously still in it, but just seeing it from a different perspective and being able to digest it and understand the why behind the what and understand being able to pick up on why Mike (McDaniel) is calling a certain thing in certain situations or all that stuff. Just being able to learn in game management situations, there’s a whole bunch of stuff that I thought really played into account last year for me that really helped me grow and develop. And on top of that, even though I wasn’t getting reps, I devoted a lot of time to walkthroughs and all those things just to keep myself up to date and to keep learning and progressing, because you just never know. And I wanted another opportunity whenever the time came and so you’ve just always got to stay ready. So that’s been my approach, and I thought that really helped me last year being able to see it from a different perspective.”
(This team entered the season obviously with Super Bowl hopes, aspirations and all that. Four games now, you’re going to have to keep them on track for the goal. Just talk about the responsibility that comes with that and why you feel like you’re prepared in this moment to do that?) – “I’m just focused on today. I’m focused on today, and when tomorrow comes, I’ll focus on tomorrow. It’s one game at a time, one day at a time, and that’s my approach to everything. And that’s been my approach since I’ve gotten here and that’s led me to success, just being able to focus on the now. What’s in front of me right now, not getting too far ahead of myself because that’s when things start going all over the place. So it’s just focusing on right now where my feet are, being where my feet are, and I think that that approach for me helps me stay even-keeled in the implementation of the game plan this week and being able to take it one step at a time, rather than trying to look at it all at once, because sometimes that can be overwhelming. So you just try to take it one day at a time and focus on today. That’s me and that’s what I’m echoing around to the guys, too.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel told us when you won the No. 2 job over Mike White, that part of the reason why was how your teammates responded when you were in the game. Not just in actual games, but when you were on the field at practice. What does it mean to you to hear that, that the way your teammates responding to you is part of the reason why this coaching staff has so much faith and trust in you?) – “Honestly, it’s probably one of the best compliments I could get, because like I was touching on earlier, one of my favorite parts about this game is going to play with the guys next to me. It’s been that way since I was a little kid, and I just find joy in going to battle with guys that I know have put so much into it to do their job. They’re relying on me to do my job; I’m relying on them to do theirs and that’s for all 11 spots. I feel like that trust and continuity you build is special and for me, I want to make guys feel confident when I’m in there and we’re going to make plays, whatever that looks like. Just being able to instill that confidence in those guys and get them to believe. I think that stems from – anybody can go say, like, ‘Hey, believe in me.’ But you’ve got to do it with your actions and the way that you go about things, and I feel like that’s just the approach that I’ve taken is just controlling what I control, be a hard worker, be a great teammate and put the team first in every way, shape or form, and good things happen. So that’s really cool to hear.”
(Last time you started a non-preseason game so the playoff game at Buffalo, there were some issues getting the plays in from Head Coach Mike McDaniel to you. What gives you confidence that your communication on game day will be better to get plays and streamline things?) – “Absolutely, it’s going to be a hostile environment and it’s going to be a special opportunity for us to go attack that because it is going to be a challenge. That’s the reality of it. But to me, it’s just getting work. Getting to work at it this week, getting the timing down with everything and getting guys in sync on the same page. I think that’s the most important part, is everybody being in sync together with that stuff so we can operate well and also getting out of the huddle, getting up to the line of scrimmage – all those things – all the operational aspects really help that. Truly, I feel like that was an area that I have focused on and tried to improve on and grow in, and I feel like I have made improvement in that. So it’s just going to keep continuing to build throughout the week and build that continuity and trust in the plays so we can operate quickly on game day.”
(You mentioned it being a hostile environment. What are your expectations for what you’ll experience in Seattle with the 12th man at Lumen Field over there?) – “Just hearing guys talk and guys that have been there, it’s a special place to play and the 12th man is real. I’m super excited for that. For me, that’s what you want. That’s why football is such a great game, and being able to go on the road, having a road opportunity with the guys and get to go in there and go to battle with them in that environment is fun. We’re really excited for that opportunity.”
(When you were thrown into action the first time, was there a sense of “don’t screw this up” as opposed to how you’re going into it now?) – “I wouldn’t say necessarily in that wording that’s how I felt, but it was just – it’s a lot different than how I feel now. And I felt like my rookie year, I was really – I was doing things exactly by the book and viewing everything as how I would see it in the playbook – the drop, footwork and everything – and it was all new to me. I studied it so much that I felt like I knew it so well that sometimes it kind of slowed me down a little bit, even. And that’s just another progression, part of being in the third year and having this opportunity again, I feel like I have a very good understanding of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it and being able to anticipate those things and all those things come to account and help me with my progressions and all that stuff. It’s less thinking, so I’m excited for this go around.”
(Has QB Tua Tagovailoa given you any advice or words of encouragement as you kind of head into this next journey?) – “Yeah, he definitely has. He’s given me some really great advice and has been a great sounding board for me. And if I have questions or something pops up that, ‘Hey, like Tua, how’d you handle this or how’d you do this?’ He’s so quick to give me answers and to do anything to help me, and I’m very, very thankful for Tua because obviously, with the situation, I think it just speaks volumes about the person that we already know who he is. But it’s special and I’m thankful to have him around with me because it gives me confidence to have him around.”
Mike McDaniel – September 18, 2024
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Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(So the decision to put QB Tua Tagovailoa on IR and be sidelined for four games, what led to that – to have him sit at least four games?) – “I think lost in a lot of this is this is something that Chris (Grier) and I have to collaborate on in terms of you have injuries – man, it’s clear if it’s, ‘All right, you’re out for the year.’ Anything else, you have to weigh the information that you have on that day at that moment and weigh all of the different variables. So in the process, like every other player on this team, we do what we feel is best with the information and collaboration with medical experts. We do the very best for the organization that we can – there are different ways that comes at you, but it’s not something that you ever are void of in terms of you have to make the decision with what you have. I think realistically that’s something that as Chris and I have worked together we’ve had these situations each and every year, the entire year of ‘All right, well what do we know and what’s the best thing for all people involved?’ And you make that decision – that’s what you do in these roles.”
(You said on Monday there wasn’t information yet to decide whether to put QB Tua Tagovailoa on IR. I’m curious, what more information did you receive from Monday to Tuesday that ultimately led to the decision?) – “It’s more of an accumulation of different information and again, it’s not like we’re operating today and trying to make decisions on things that aren’t today. So I think that each and every day is a big deal of information; you take all of that and we are very transparent in our conversations and I don’t think anybody questions our intentionality. So you just make the decision that’s best and move forward. I think we came to the conclusion in collaboration, and I think that’s what you have to do.”
(Did QB Tua Tagovailoa try to fight you on it at all or is it something that he was totally on board with?) – “Well, I’d hope that if he was fighting me, I’d be bruised up because I’m just not that physically imposing. (laughter) I think the biggest thing with the way that Chris (Grier) and I really go about all of our relationships within the organization is you work, day-in, day-out, to establish a trust and understand intent, and then you just communicate and have conversations that are without a shadow of a doubt the intentionality and the deliberate nature of it. As a respectful, professional counterpart, I think I’ve worked very hard to earn his respect and regard and he does everything that you’d want in a teammate. And as teammates, I don’t think he’s for a second, second guessing or understating the weight of whatever. As a competitor, obviously he loves and wants to play, but understanding how this is a process of health and you take that process with – I’ve learned a lot about various things in the science field and medical field as a head coach and being in this game for a while and you do everything to make sure that people, your responsibility to them is that you provide an environment that is absolutely best catered to maximizing them as human beings and football players and all of that. And I think the great thing about IR is there’s – for a month’s time, there’s no timelines. I always say that but I’m not sure that people quite understand; if you set a timeline based upon the information you have today, how much of whatever goes on is fulfilling the prophecy of that timeline? And is that the right thing? Especially with competitors and stuff, sometimes you can do more harm than good. I think regardless, not worrying about anything as it relates to timelines is very empowering for him as a human being to recover from injury, and that’s steadfast the only motivating factor that you have when you’re dealing with players and their careers and their injuries.”
(What is that process though? Once you have that conversation with him, you guys walk away, what is the process of him going through dealing with this? Is this a situation where he’s sitting at home? Or is it he’s constantly going through medical procedures? Or what is that? Are you guys still in contact?) – “That’s a fair question. A lot of times I don’t totally recognize, ‘Yeah, what does it look like?’ Involved teammate that is working with our medical staff in various ways that sometimes involves certain things. Sometimes involves sweating, sometimes there’s all sorts of stuff that is part of a daily process to take each day to – we don’t want to create an environment where there’s like, ‘Hey, we’re assuming someone’s feeling this way,’ or you have to communicate, even ad nauseam. Sometimes he doesn’t want to talk to my face, but he has to. (laughter) One thing that’s interesting that you’re not – obviously, I didn’t forecast this a week ago, such is the nature of NFL football, but I see a true, true leader and teammate that is worried about the right stuff. What he’s worried about is doing everything that he can control for each day and then also very much invested with his teammates. There’s a lot of conversation that has to do with just you, and that’s odd by nature of odd, right? So on top of that, for a leader, a captain, the quarterback of this franchise, he is approaching it the way that true leaders and captains would in terms of, ‘Hey, this is not about me. We have a game. I’m getting healthy. We have a game on Sunday.’ Where fortunately for us as a football team, we didn’t try to mask the fact that we had high expectations that were completely fallen short of in this past game, and not all the time in life do you have to have something occur and you have any control of it moving forward. No, we literally have an opportunity today on Wednesday. If you’re trying to be a team that can handle adversity, you waste no time in doing it and you have a good practice. And that is vitally important to the team and that’s what really the conversations that I’ve had with Tua today, most recently, that’s what it’s been about. It’s about how he’s using today to talk to this teammate and this teammates for this reason or that reason, and that’s what it is. That’s what today is, and we’ll worry about tomorrow tomorrow. I’m going to be exhaustively annoying with that approach because it makes sense to me just scientifically. It’s not wasting time creating any sort of feelings – whether it’s positive or negative anxiety, whatever – on things that are quite literally fake right now because it’s not out. Like no, that’s not how you go through the process and make sure you do right by yourself as a player, to the organization and etcetera, etcetera. I’m very motivated to do that.”
(Two-part question, the first part is easy. I’m guessing QB Tua Tagovailoa won’t travel to Seattle, but maybe you could set me straight on that?) – “We travel on Friday, and I’ll probably find out on Friday, because I literally will not, that’s how committed to the – there’s so much of today. And I would prefer on Friday, if he did or didn’t travel, that to be based upon the feelings and motivations that he had on Friday. I wouldn’t broach that, not because I don’t care but because we have a grinder of a day. Wednesdays, there’s a lot of stuff going on. Guys are enthused to work and that’s where it’s very interesting, but that’s all he wants to talk about right now, is literally different sorts of formations, progressions and things that need to get done today based upon the opponent we’re playing.”
(The second part was just how would you describe the team’s collective mindset now that they know that QB Skylar Thompson is their guy for the next month?) – “I think it’s very, very telling – I would encourage anyone to press their ear to the locker room door if they could, because you find out a lot about your team, about how people feel about other people in moments like this. And when I tell you that the confidence that the team has for Skylar (Thompson) is real and it’s earned, and it’s based upon thousands of hours that as a backup quarterback most people don’t see. I would say very motivated to do their jobs and the greatest compliment you could see – I don’t think it’s on anybody’s minds. I think they’re focused on doing right by their job, their opportunity, their teammates, and quite frankly, we are only what we commit to each other. If guys were deviating that way – this team with the captains and leadership council, I think if there was anybody wavering from that, they would be communicated with conviction and assertiveness.”
(Just going back to what you said about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s desires at this stage, with where he is with the protocol, is he able to watch practice and help QB Skylar Thompson through maybe some of those progressions and formations and film as well?) – “So the old stages – I’m not doing stages for timelines, not doing it. He’s very active within the building, and I can firmly – I can guarantee that he is fully committed to the day and his team and is involving himself in every way that the rules allow and that the process allows, because the process is what you focus on; it’s not getting through it. And he’s very much focused on that because we’re all not trying to rush the process. As a matter of fact, we’re trying to do the process right and that’s what our focus is. I have zero concerns about him. He is in it with his teammates, and sometimes that means being on the field, sometimes that means meetings, sometimes that means in the training room, sometimes that means in the locker room. But he is doing it as a leader and a captain, (like) you’d want them to do.”
(What do you think QB Skylar Thompson picked up in the 2023 season when he didn’t get any game action? What kind of things do you think he gained and learned by staying on that sideline?) – “That’s a good question because it’s a challenging situation where you – all right, so you’re a rookie quarterback; you’re learning this new language in a game where the hashes are different, the speed is different, all of this, and then you’re thrust into an opportunity, I can’t remember the weeks anymore but throughout the whole season, and then last training camp in a quarterback competition that was neck and neck. You learn so much about people. It’s not about when their next opportunity is; it’s when it is, where are they at. So much of this game, particularly at quarterback, if you aren’t a lottery pick, you have to seize opportunities and that means the only way you can really execute at the quarterback position in this league is if you are always checking your boxes, forcing yourself to get better in unique and challenging ways so everyone can feel a tangible difference your next opportunity. Especially when it’s a year long, you’re like, ‘OK, well let’s see how this all plays out. Here is this op,’ It was much the motivation of a lot of the randomness of training camp and preseason games to create scenarios where I want to see where guys are at. He got better, and you have every excuse as a backup quarterback to get worse. Because you don’t or you can challenge yourself – he has ran our plays in a walkthrough setting probably more than anybody on our team because he’s going through the process diligently with any player that maybe is a practice squad guy, new guy, somebody that’s coming back from injury. He’s done that for a calendar year incessantly, and the results are there is a broader chest in the huddle. There’s more conviction when you do this, that or the other. It’s been cool to watch him join multiple players on the team that you’re watching – 2024, it might be the same name on the jersey but you’re seeing a different man. I think collectively, guys that have been here since 2022 have all recognized in each other when it’s happened and then challenged themselves as a group, or just individually, to keep up with the defensive tackle that just had a breakthrough in his game, or the countless number of stories of perseverance we have on this team and all of that – he fits right in. It’s probably because, in all honestly, he has had the opportunity for adversity since a young age. He handles it well and he deserves the opportunity that he’s going to get.”
(Has RB Raheem Mostert gotten to the point to where he can return to practice this week? Also if can we get update on T Terron Armstead?) – “Raheem (Mostert) is progressing each day. That’s a guy I have to read between the lines and not with the words that he tells me, in the most complimentary way. True warrior, getting better every day. So we’ll see an uptick, then you see how he responds so that you can further uptick and not have any steps back. Terron (Armstead), he’s good. He’s our captain for a reason. He just galvanizes people with his presence. He finally strung together – you wouldn’t know it, I’m sure PFF’s grades wouldn’t know it, but what he’s been doing in adverse situations is remarkable in terms of how he’s executing at as high of an anxiety position that exist that a lot of people totally wig out – you have these pass rushers every week that are really good. He’s been playing at a high level for anybody’s standards, and he can taste the next level as he’s strung together more practices. I’ll say that it’s not overly concerned for anything at all long term; this is a day-to-day type of situation I would feel good about. And I feel great where he’s at most importantly, because sometimes you can – it’s a tough game in terms of he’s battled through a lot of stuff, but he’s not blinking. We’ll keep progressing each day with him and see where that lends itself at the end of the week. We got very smiling pearly whites, determined Terron Armstead today. Very focused, and that’s my favorite Armstead.”
Mike McDaniel – September 16, 2024
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Monday, September 16, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I was going ask, is QB Tua Tagovailoa exhibiting any symptoms? How is he feeling? Does he have symptoms?) – “He was downstairs today smiling with his teammates. He’s working with the trainers and medical staff diligently and as far as I’m concerned, you’re in the protocol and I think he’s doing well today and we take it day by day. He was feeling good, but what does that mean in terms of a medical diagnosis? I don’t base my judgments on my interactions with him necessarily as much as it is hearing the end result of the medical examination and where he’s at. It was good to see him and I know his teammates were pumped to see him.”
(You implored people not to worry too much or discuss too much about his future, what’s next, to take it day by day; but there was a report yesterday by NFL Network that QB Tua Tagovailoa is focused on playing football again and coming back. Has he given you any indication? Is that what seems to be the plan for him as he moves forward?) – “I think as far as Tua’s career is concerned, I think it’s of utmost priority of mind for Tua to speak on Tua’s career. So I think reports are reports. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just worried about the human being and where that’s at day to day, and I think I’ll let Tua be the champion of his own career and speak on that.”
(Is he going on injured reserve?) – “Not enough information quite yet. That’s going to be driven by medical experts and then when we get the appropriate information and discuss with Tua, then Chris (Grier) and I can discuss that. Not quite ready to make a distinction on that, so that could or couldn’t. We’ll see in the next coming days.”
(Unfortunately this is something that he has history with now as far as evaluation and seeing doctors and specialists and all that. Last time he sought independent specialists. Are you encouraging him to go that route again this time?) – “Absolutely. That will be part of the process, for sure.”
(What made QB Tyler Huntley the choice as a quarterback being brought in?) – “In lieu of the fact that if you’re not going to adhere to timelines based upon what the science tells us and how we want to approach individual situations and player injuries; with that unknown, that was something that – ever since he’s – it’s been apparent from afar and then having some coaches that have been around him, shoot, he was replacing the league MVP and you could tell from far away that he was a guy that the team absolutely believed could lead them to victory. I think that’s a very huge tangible thing for a non-QB1 necessarily, and so for us without knowing exact timelines, we got to learn firsthand a nice reminder of how it only takes one play and what you think your depth is changes abruptly. So that’s a move for moving forward to secure some depth in case of the unforeseen which is timelines for us as it relates to Tua.”
(To kind of drill down on QB Tyler Huntley and why he’s here, is he being brought in to serve as the No. 2 behind QB Skylar Thompson or the No. 3 behind QB Tim Boyle or compete with Skylar eventually?) – “This was not a move to in any way, shape or form out of anything not that has to do with Skylar (Thompson). Our team going all the way back to his first rep in rookie minicamp as a rookie to down the stretch of the 2022 season to what he was able to do to win the No. 2 job, this is not in any direct reflection to Skylar as Tua’s backup. This is more for the depth. I do think that it helps the dynamics of the room to give another guy with starting history to this team and gives another added addition of a guy that’s a signal-caller that a team can get behind. I was happy adding – what we were able to do in the quarterback room – in adding (Tim) Boyle, but I think this is more directly to back up Skylar and then you always let competition play out when it’s out on the field, but this was a depth move, for sure.”
(This decision, obviously QB Skylar Thompson did well in training camp, has done well in the exhibition season throughout the years and he does have the most familiarity with your offense. But what makes you so convicted that he can lead this team to victories?) – “And I totally understand that question and this is deep-seated. This is observation from the second that he got on site. I think you learn so much about people when they’re put into new situations and from his first rep in rookie minicamp, his first day on site to his first rep against I think it was the New York Jets or his first start against the Minnesota Vikings or his next start which was win-or-go-home situation – the final game of the regular season – or his start in the Buffalo game in the playoffs on the road where all these situations, you are grading the player and how he is executing what he is seeing live-speed. And time and time again, he’s done things that are very, very difficult your first time around. And then I know last season we didn’t really get the opportunity to see him play. It was a neck-and-neck competition in training camp and last year I thought Mike (White) did a great job giving us what the team needed and with an extra year under his belt, I thought in a tight race that he (Skylar Thompson) really separated himself. So I think his game has developed since he’s had a starting opportunity in the National Football League. I think all his teammates can feel his command and his growth, and I think he put together some winning football as a rookie. Rookies have a hard enough time digesting anything, let alone being a quarterback in this offense, so there’s a lot of reasons that his teammates have to fully believe in him and his ability which is why he was the No. 2 named from the end of preseason.”
(I guess the idea was this offense needs a certain kind of quarterback to operate it. You’ve said that QB Tua Tagovailoa is the ideal quarterback for this system. QB Tyler Huntley, he and Tua have different games. Is it a signal that you’re willing with QB Skylar Thompson, with Tyler if he ever plays to broaden the playbook? To go a different route? Maybe do some concepts that haven’t been really the bread and butter of what we’ve seen?) – “Absolutely and I think there’s also the history of our offense does not start Year 1 with the Dolphins. I think with the different assets that we have and this complexion of the offense, for sure, there’s a reason why I feel that with the utmost conviction with Tua, but going all the way back to some of the concepts and some of the beliefs that we’ve kind of developed, it wasn’t too long ago where we were adapting within the offense, we were adapting in Washington to uncharted zone read territory. So that was something that we learned that we’ve kept in place in various situations. We’ve actually run a couple concepts here before when Skylar (Thompson) and Teddy (Bridgewater) were playing in ’22. And then that’s something that we carried all the way through 2021 in San Fran when we had Trey Lance on board as well. So there’s ways within the offense to adapt to your skill position players and I think you’re never – I know from a defensive perspective what that adds to how you have to defend so there is an advantage to, quite frankly, a different angle or a different competitive advantage when your quarterback has a lot of success with his feet. So I think that is something that from our offensive standpoint is not as outside-the-box as one may think. Tua’s No. 1 RPO that he runs all the time is an extension of a zone read principle that he just throws instead of running the ball. So there’s good caveats to it and a lot of different ways to skin a cat.”
(The last week dating back to even a week ago, it’s been pretty emotional for this team and obviously the latest with QB Tua Tagovailoa. How much of the focus as you begin a new week and prep for the next game is it a focus to kind of re-center things? That things aren’t getting away from you after all the kind of emotion of the last week or so?) – “Absolutely. That’s a huge thing as we grow as a team. Listen, you call a spade a spade – as a team you have to address the fact that why did we feel the way we felt, why were we so caught off guard and why was the ultimate result something that we’ve been working diligently at preventing for a long time? And the biggest thing is when you are going above and beyond and then absolutely get the opposite results desired, you make sure that the team is individually focused on the growth of their game and not looking over their shoulder being like, ‘OK, well shoot…’ I was really enthused by today just in general because you want starting from – let’s take as an example Anthony Weaver as the defensive coordinator and the trickle-down effect of how the defensive coordinator looks at the result. Well, it could be very easy for a lot of people to be like, ‘There was three turnovers and two turnovers on down or whatever and 24 points came off those.’ That is the easiest thing. The hard thing is to say, ‘Whatever, let’s tune up our game, I don’t care about what other phases are doing, I don’t care about what other positions are doing. How do I relate to our ultimate job? As ‘Weave’ (Anthony Weaver) said, our job is to get the ball back. I think teams are 18-3 in 2024 when the turnover differential is in the plus. But that doesn’t help anyone get better if you just focus on ‘Hey, I’m good.’ So to me, worrying about our standard and focusing on winning the next game is absolutely the most important thing that this team can learn, especially after you – nobody on the team saw the end result coming, but now I feel like our team understands why it did and then what our objectives are to clean up our game as fast as possible to render results that we’re more satisfied with, plain and simple.”
(Do you expect to have T Terron Armstead available on Sunday?) – “Yeah, I think he’s day to day. So what that looks like – I feel it’s definitely more of a day-to-day situation, so I’m optimistic.”
(RB De’Von Achane right now through two games has 46 touches, the next five players have combined for 44. Was this always the plan for him to be such a heavy vocal point of this offense? Or is there a plan to diversify a little bit?) – “Well, I think there’s compounding variables. I wouldn’t say – I knew he was going to have an uptick in involvement. I think with Raheem (Mostert), his situation, that’s kind of added to it, the defenses structures and what they’ve committed themselves to has given him more opportunities. I think specifically it’s hard not to give guys opportunities that really are thirsting for the ball that are doing something with it – so it’s to his credit. You want to talk about a guy that literally did everything imaginable to have that Thursday night opportunity in terms of his time in the training room and making sure he was a full-go. All he’s done has given more reasons to get him the ball. I wouldn’t say that – it was probably quite the opposite going into the season. I wasn’t thinking – we really have a situation where there’s a lot of people to give the ball, more so than I’ve ever been used to here, so to say that I was forecasting such a heavy dose, that wouldn’t be honest. But at the same time, he’s definitely earned all of the opportunities and he could make a case for even more. So I think I wouldn’t expect – there’s so many playmakers that we had to diversify. I think his production with the ball right now is definitely a positive for us, because to get the ball away from him, you got to do some good stuff with it. So I think it puts pressure on all eligibles and what you do with the ball, because he’s made it very clear that on the routine, he’s probably making the first guy miss.”
(Upon review of the film, why was it so hard to get WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle the ball consistently against the Bills?) – “Well, I think there’s – football is definitely a team sport. Offensive football, when a team is committing – when a defensive team or an opponent is committing to take somebody away, you have to make them pay appropriately. I think the ops are still there, they just might not be as multiple when you’re having a two-man player, you have two people guarding one on run downs. So I think those, what’s cool about ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) and (Jaylen) Waddle and their understanding of football and really our offense is there’s certain situations where, it doesn’t happen that often, but they’ll come to the sidelines and tell me, ‘Hey, you know what? We need to run the ball.’ What they’re saying is they know there’s not a run fit player. They know that the safety and the corner aren’t even looking at the ball during our play action, so you have to execute and make people pay when they’re overplaying something. I think that teams have a lot of reason to focus on those guys and I think collectively it’s a group effort to get them more involved because they’re the – case in point, the rest of the offense is in an advantageous situation if they’re going to fully commit the way that some teams have been, that you always have to keep them involved, but there’s a balance where teammates have to really make opposing teams pay if they’re going to overcommit that way. And until we do, I think they understand as much as everybody else that teams will do something until you make them pay for it.”
Jordyn Brooks – September 16, 2024
Monday, September 16, 2024
LB Jordyn Brooks
(Can you tell us the mood of the team right now considering QB Tua Tagovailoa’s situation? Is everybody confident? Is everybody low key? How would you describe it?) – “I think everybody is good. I didn’t see anything crazy. Obviously, the energy won’t be as high as it usually is coming off a loss, but I think it’s good energy just moving on and getting ready for this week.”
(What’s the hardest part of moving on when you played well that second half particularly defensively against Jacksonville and then the struggles that last game to not be able to win that game? What is the key to bounce back and refocus?) – “Just knowing that it’s a long season. You have 17 games, so you don’t have all day to keep harping on what happened. Learn from it and then move on, because we’ve got another team this week. That’s the motivation is that we’ve got another game, so we’ve got to get ready for that.”
(When a team loses its quarterback – we don’t know how long he’ll be out obviously, but he’s going to miss some time. Does it feel like everybody else has to up their game a little bit, defense has to play better, running game has to play better all of that?) – “I think we always have to play better whether the quarterback is playing or not. That’s everybody’s individual goal to be the best that you can be so that we can be better together. It’s unfortunate what happened with our quarterback, but had that not happened, the goal will still be the same as far as us getting better and getting to the place that we know we can be.”
(Is this going to be emotional for you on Sunday going back? And heading into March, had you thought you might re-sign with the Seahawks?) – “Yeah, I spent my first four years there. It was a good thing for me, but it’ll be good to go back and get to play against those guys. I think it will be a great opportunity for me.”
(Who are you still close with over there that you are looking forward to seeing?) – “A lot of the guys on defense that I played with, a lot of the younger guys. It will be good to see them and then compete against them.”
(How important is veteran leadership when it comes to bouncing back after a loss on Thursday?) – “It’s important. It’s important, but I think it’s more so important that guys be the example rather than always having to huddle everybody up and (say), ‘Hey, this is what we need to do.’ Just show them, and that’s by moving on, attacking each day like a professional, going to practice and doing everything with intent and making sure that we improve this week.”
(How do you describe the atmosphere in that stadium from both what it gives the Seahawks and what it might present as a challenge to visiting teams?) – “It can get loud in there if we allow it. The fans out there, they’re crazy about the team, so whenever the Seahawks are making plays or whatever, they get really loud. But I think we can control that if we play our game.”
(What stood out about QB Geno Smith as a quarterback to you when you were there?) – “Just his preparation. He was there my first two years. When he was sitting behind ‘Rus,’ (Russell Wilson) he prepared the same way as if he was going to play. When he got his opportunity, it wasn’t a shock. So I’ve always respected him for that, just how he approached the game.”
(Hypothetically speaking, if QB Skylar Thompson has to make a road start this week at Seattle, as somebody who has played in that stadium famously loud, what is a piece of advice you would tell him to, I guess, keep his head on straight throughout that entire game?) – “Just know that we’re on the field with him. He’s not out there by himself – literally, there’s 10 other guys out there with him. Just know that; trust in the preparation that we go through this week and just play your game. You don’t have to do nothing special.”
(Is it as loud as everybody says? I’ve never covered a game there. How loud does it get?) – “Like I said, it gets as loud as the team can make it. So if we’re stopping them, it won’t be that loud. If we don’t, it will be pretty loud. I think the way the stadium is designed to keep the sound in or whatever, so that helps too.”
Zach Sieler – September 16, 2024
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Monday, September 16, 2024
DT Zach Sieler
(As a player who’s been with QB Tua Tagovailoa now for so many years, what were your immediate thoughts when you saw what transpired on Thursday?) – “I mean it doesn’t matter if it’s Tua or anybody, but what happened is horrible. You hate seeing that stuff. You immediately pray and wish the best for him and his family. I hope he’s doing good. He seems happy; I’m not going to speculate anything. I’m really excited to see where we go forward with this.”
(Emotionally there’s a lot going on concerning QB Tua Tagovailoa, but then you also lost a football game, you’ve got a tough game to go west. How do you kind of balance all of those emotions as you’ve got to prep right away for a new game?) – “Honestly, I think that’s the good thing about the NFL, where you’re on to the next thing. So it’s like you make the corrections quick and you move onto the next game. It gives you an opportunity to move on from what just happened, not that you want to forget it because you need to learn from it and you know it’s a copycat league and you can get a lot of those same plays over again next week and the following weeks after. But I think that’s kind of the bird of the beast where we’re able to move on and prove yourself the next week, ‘Hey, look – last week wasn’t good enough. This week is,’ and we can make those corrections and make it right.”
(Question about the run defense and where you think it is; both opponents rushed for over 100, but Buffalo with 108 with a 49-yard-run. Is the run defense in a good place? Did you guys make corrections and one got away from you last week? How do you view it?) – “I mean it’s still a run, they still went (49) yards. We can’t let that happen. Yeah, they went for 108 – you can do the math, take out the (49), whatever. It doesn’t matter, that was one of the runs and that was a big one. You can’t let that happen up front. That’s a direct impact of how we’re playing, and it’s let’s make the adjustments, let’s figure this out and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
(What role does veteran leadership play in after a loss like that?) – “Yeah, it’s huge. I think it’s – (Head Coach Mike) McDaniel preaches, it’s a player’s team. It’s the players’ locker room and when you have the veteran leadership there, some guys have been through situations like this, and some have been through worse. And you lean on that leadership and that experience to either guide young guys or steer the team in the right direction where you can make the corrections and not take it on the chin and not be soft if someone’s trying to make you corrections or call you out for something you didn’t do good enough, but ‘Hey, no. I need to make that better. I need to play better. We need to play better,’ whatever that is. When you have leadership and veterans like that, I think you can really kind of grow and build to something great.”
(You’ve been one of those young players who stepped up when opportunity presented itself; what advice do you give QB Skylar Thompson?) – “Man, I think Skylar (Thompson) has already done it. man. What was it? Three years ago in Buffalo, two years ago in Buffalo? I have no doubts in my mind that Skylar is going to go out there and do the best he can in Seattle. I’m super excited to see him play and work on this opportunity. Obviously, again we’re praying for and sad about Tua, but I have no hesitation with Skylar going out there as QB1 this week.”
Jaylen Waddle – September 16, 2024
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Monday, September 16, 2024
WR Jaylen Waddle
(Describe the tone of the team to us. I mean we’ve seen you guys upbeat through a five-game losing streak, through QB Tua Tagovailoa being out before – what is the tone of the team right now?) – “Yeah, man, it’s pretty mellow coming in, had three days off. So coming in and getting back to work, and just ready to get it going.”
(Is there kind of a feeling of loss or sadness hanging over the team at all?) – “No, not really. We’ve got confidence in all of our players here. We go out and compete with everybody that we go against so yeah man, regular day back at work.”
(With QB Skylar Thompson, you’ve been here with him his whole duration. What kind of player are we getting? What kind of player are we getting? What kind of player are we going to see?) – “I mean y’all have seen Skylar (Thompson) play before. He’s real confident. We’re confident in his ability. He plays with a lot of swag out there, so it’s going to be fun. I’m excited.”
(How much responsibility do you put on your shoulders to make sure you’re doing everything you guys are to help QB Skylar Thompson in these next few days?) – “Oh yeah, it’s going to be key. Everybody has got to step up from the run game to protections, especially the receivers, just to make his job a little easier. It’s going to be kind of flying bullets, but Skylar’s got a lot of ball, man. I think he’s going into his third year; he played in the playoffs and got some games underneath his belt, so I think he’s prepared for the moment.”
(He’s got that improvisation ability to scramble out of the pocket; how does that change things for you as a wide receiver?) – “Yeah, it’s something that the defense has got to be accountable for. He’s an athletic guy, a mobile guy that can move around and extend plays with his legs. So when you got a guy like that, the defense can’t just sit back and play all of these exotic coverages.”
(How much work did you get with QB Skylar Thompson during OTAs and minicamp and training camp?) – “We got a lot of bank reps throughout the training camp. You get in, ones, twos – he got reps with me, ‘Reek,’ (Tyreek Hill), ones, and through contract negotiations with Tua, he stepped in and filled that void.”
(You’ve been friends with QB Tua Tagovailoa for a long time – just your reaction to what he’s going through right now?) – “Yeah, man. That’s always sad when you see your guy go down like that. But we play a dangerous game, man. And I think that the whole world gets to see how dangerous this game is and how everybody puts their body on the line week-in and week-out.”
(How’s he doing from what you’ve seen?) – “He’s doing good, man. Talked to him, he’s in good spirits. (He’s) got the team in good spirits and everybody praying for him and hoping (for his) health.”
